It's that time of year again - Thanksgiving. And the staff of the Henryand Stark County Health Departments note as cooks across the country readythemselves for this annual feast day, it's important to remember that if youdon't eat the skin, and if you skim the fat from the gravy, turkey makes ahealthy feast. However, preparing this bird does bring with it some specialconcerns. So to better guarantee that your Thanksgiving holiday is ahealthy one, the Health Department offers up some helpful "Turkey Tactics." Most poultry now comes with a safe handling label - read it. If thebird is frozen, defrost it in the refrigerator, if possible. Here arerefrigerator thawing times for various size turkeys:* 8 to 12 pound turkey takes 1 to 2 days to thaw in the refrigerator* 12 to 16 pound turkey takes 2 to 3 days to thaw in the refrigerator* 16 to 20 pound turkey takes 3 to 4 days to thaw in the refrigerator* Pieces of a turkey, such as a half or quarter will take 1 to 2 daysthawing time in the refrigerator Dorothy David, Director of Environmental Health Services notes, "If thebeast is huge and you're short of time, submerge it (in its plasticwrapping) in potable running water at a temperature of 70 degreesfahrenheit, with sufficient water velocity to agitate and float off loosefood particles with the overflow." If you have a small bird and a large microwave, you can safely defrostit that way. Roast the turkey as soon as it is thawed. Any poultry canhave salmonella and other bacteria. After handling poultry, wash your handsand utensils that have come in contact with the raw meat. Do not thaw the turkey on the kitchen counter. A frozen turkey thawsfrom the outside in. As the surface warms, bacteria multiply. Whilethawing, the surface bacteria could multiply to dangerously high levels.One cannot rely on cooking to destroy all bacteria. In addition, some foodpoisoning bacteria produce toxins that can't be destroyed though cooking. Use a meat thermometer. Cook to 170 to 175 degrees in the thickest partof the breast, 180-185 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh, and160-165 degrees in the stuffing. "Slow cooking" overnight is not safebecause bacteria have time to multiply. Don't stuff a bird early. Stuff it only when ready to put it in theoven. If you refrigerate a large stuffed uncooked turkey, the stuffing maynot chill fast enough, allowing bacteria growth. Cooking the stuffingseparately is safer. For more information on food safety, call the Health DepartmentEnvironmental Health Division at (309) 852-0197 or 792-4011 (Henry) or852-3115 (Stark) or visit our website at www.henrystarkhealth.com or find uson Facebook at Henry and Stark County Health Departments.